Page 81 of His Red Carnation

I nodded, but something still didn’t sit right. Maybe it was nothing, just nerves from everything happening…or maybe Leo’s absence was something more.

“What lead?” I dug deeper.

Jake leaned back slightly in his chair, keeping his tone steady. “One of our sources reported seeing a black SUV matching the one from the scene a couple of towns over. Leo was the closest, so we sent him out.”

It sounded plausible—logical even—but it still didn’t ease the tightness in my chest. A black SUV was a solid lead, something worth investigating, but something still gnawed at me.

“Why was he so close?” I pressed.

Jake shrugged slightly, keeping his tone even. “Just coincidence, I guess. He was already out working some smaller leads when everything happened. He’s always been good about staying close when things heat up.”

It made sense, but there was still something that didn’t add up. Leo’s absence now felt too coincidental, too perfectly timed. My gut told me there was more to this than just chance.

“Isn’t he always by your side?” I asked, digging deeper. “I’ve never seen him leave you for anything this important.”

Jake paused for a moment, the question hanging between us. His eyes flicked to mine, and for the first time, I saw a hint of uncertainty flash across his face. “Yeah, he usually is.”

He seemed to mull it over for a second before shaking his head, as if dismissing the thought. “Look, Leo’s good at what he does. He wouldn’t go off like this unless it was important.”

But now, I could tell—something didn’t sit right with Jake either.

“Might be a good time to call him, get an update,” I suggested, sitting back in my chair, arms crossed. I tried to keep my tone casual, but my eyes stayed fixed on Jake.

Jake hesitated, just for a second, before nodding. “Yeah, good idea.”

He pulled out his phone and dialed, holding it to his ear. I watched his face closely, noticing the slight tension in his jaw as the line rang. After a few long moments, he lowered the phone and glanced at me. “No answer.”

A pit formed in my stomach. “That’s fucking weird, isn’t it?”

Jake didn’t respond right away, his brows pulled together as he stared at his phone. “Yeah…it is.”

His frown deepened, and he stood up, turning toward the Secret Service agents working around us. “I want a team out looking for Leo, now,” he ordered, his voice firm. “Track his last known location and send someone to check it out. Something’s not right.”

The agents exchanged quick glances before nodding and moving into action, tapping at their earpieces and communicating the new orders.

I watched it all unfold, the knot in my stomach tightening. If Leo had just gone dark, that could only mean one of two things: he was in trouble, or he was hiding something. Either way, it wasn’t good.

Jake sat back down, his expression more tense than before. “We’ll find him,” he said, though I wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince—me, or himself.

The room buzzed with movement as the agents followed Jake’s orders, but before I could process what that meant, one of them walked over and handed me my phone.

“We’ve done what we can for now. You’ll get updates as we track everything,” he said.

I barely nodded, feeling the weight of the phone in my hand. But before I could put it away, the screen lit up. A number I didn’t recognize flashed across it. My heart lurched.

I swiped to answer, bringing the phone to my ear. “Sarah?”

Her laugh on the other end was cold, chilling. “Miss me, Callan?”

“Where is she?” My voice was tight, controlled, though panic bubbled just beneath the surface. “What the fuck are you doing with Sloane?”

“Oh, you’ll find out soon enough,” she sneered. “But I’ll give you a little hint: she’s not looking too good right now. I’ve got your precious girl, and I’m about to show you what it feels like to lose everything.”

My grip on the phone tightened, blood pounding in my ears. “If you fucking hurt her—”

“Oh, Iwill,” Sarah interrupted, her voice dripping with malice. “And you’ll watch it all unfold.”

The line went dead.

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